Christopherson



Feb- 8, 1949 R. cHRlsToPHERsoN 2,460,923

PROGRESSIVE DRAWER SUPPORT Filed Aug. 21, 1944 2 Sheetsf-Sheet l v A T Tonka-ys' Feb- 8, 1949- R. cHRls'KroPHr-:RsoN 2,450,923

PROGRESSIVE DRAWER SUPPORT Filed Aug. 21, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 2 /C' Jg HIIIIIIINIIIII Einw/va One/.s Taf/mesa v INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 8, 1949 y27,460,923` PROGRESSIVE DRAWER" SUPPORT Raymond Christopherson, Long Beach, Calif.; as; signor to vNational Cabinet Company, Long Beach, Calif., a limited partnership Application August 21, 194:4,` Serial No. 550,431

2 claims. (c1. 454-77) This invention relates to improvements in' drawer constructions.

An object of the invention is to provide. a

drawer and drawer compartment adapted to re-'.

ceive the drawer, with an anti-friction runner construction which will facilitate withdrawing the drawer from the compartment and returning it thereto and which will support the drawer in its fully withdrawn position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a runner construction for drawers and drawer com- -partments adapted to receive the same, wherein the drawer compartment has top and bottom rails at the sides thereof comprising, a pair of runners connected by cross bars, at least one of which is equipped with rollers engageable with the topv and bottom rails, the cross bars being pivotally V connected to the runners in such a manner as to facilitate collapse of the runner constructionV which facilitates its insertion into, or removal from the drawer compartment.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodi.

ment of the invention, wherein 1 p Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drawer and drawer compartment, the drawer being .illustrated in fully withdrawn position and supported by the improved runner construction.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the drawerV compartment; A. f

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the rear portion of the drawer compartment and through the drawer therein;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken substantially upon the line 4-4 upon Fig. 3`;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the runner forming a part of the improved progressive drawer support illustrating in dotted lines'the position that it may assume on insertion or withdrawal; and Fig. 6 is a partial view in vertical section taken substantially upon the line 6-6 upon Fig. 5. Y

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the present invention may be embodied or incorporated in any conventional type of drawer construction wherein there is a drawer compartment C provided by any suitable structure and which is adapted to receive the drawer D. The drawer illustrated is of the conventional type having a front wall I0,

2 f side wallsv I I and I2, a back w As shown in Fig. 31the side walls II and I2 extend downwardly' below the bottom I4 in conformity with conventional drawer construction and as illustrated in Fig. 4 the front wall I0 preferably extends laterally beyond the edgesat the entrance to the drawer compartment so as to cover or conceal the same when the drawer is in closed position. These projecting portions of the front wall I0 may also serve as stops limitingA rearward movement of the drawer. Y

'In the compartment C at the sides thereof adjacent the bottom there are spaced top and bottom rails I5 and I6. These may be formed of anysuitablemater'ial although wood is prefer-A able and maybe secured to the sides offthe'compartment C in any preferred or conventional manner.- A runner construction is provided to rollably support the drawer in the compartment. This runner construction'comprises two spaced runners I1 and I8. Connected together by cross'A bars I9 and 20, the connecting 'means of which may. be simple screws 2I and serve-to pivotally connect'each of the cross bars to 'the two runners sothat althoughl the cross bars will normally be r disposed` at right angles to the lengths of the'- runners, the runners and cross bars may vpivot relatively to each other in the form of a para1lelo' gram as shown in Fig. 5 in 4dotted lines to-facilitate insertion of the runnerconstruction into the i drawer compartment and its removal therefrom. On the ends ofthe cross bar 20 there are secured brackets 22 which in turn rotatably mount rollers f 23 which are engageable with the lower rails IB'.-V

In a similar manner crossbar-'Zll has bracketsy 24 mounted: thereon which rotatably mount rollers.

25 that 'rollably engage theundersideswof the" upper rails I5. Inthis manner the runner construction is'rollably supported at its rear' end between the vtop and bottom rails I5 and |651 At the'front ofthedrawer compartment C near" its entrance there is a transverse member or front i' rail 26X- within which'there are recessed rollers 2"!VVV that vproject slightly above the top surface of the member asto rollably engage and support the: forward Yends ofthe runners' I1 and I8. YIn this manner the-runner construction may readily rollV- all I3 and a bottom reinforced by strips 26a secured thereto and extending transversely across the drawer compartment. Y

On the rear wall I3 of thev drawer there are secured spaced brackets 28 which rotatably mount rollers 29 that rest upon the top surfaces of the runners I1 and I8. Near the forward ends of the runners therimnersY are recessed. and have; brackets- 30 mounted' thereinV that rotatablyI mount rollers 3l which rollably engage the bottom I4 of the drawer. inwardly extending opposed iianges, liz-and 33; formed thereon which extend from the rear ends of the runners forwardly fora substantaliportion of their length. The forward `ends of' lth'es'e' flanges terminate at 32a and are beveiledout- The runners I1 andI8 haveh Wardly to merge with the opposed. inner slirfaazes' of the runners II and I8 respectively. nCleats 34 and 35 are secured to the bottom of the and have complementary flanges arranged for sliding, :engagement withV theI i'inges-y 'and These cleats extend forwardly from the rear walll ofthe'drawer a. distance somewhat shorter than thelength of the flanges-,amand-M; T heseranges fonction to prevent the drawer: from tippingi downwardly-relatively to the runner-construction. when the drawer is in the fullyfwithdrawn posi;- tion fasl illustrated in -lig`4 1'. Pins: Sr-extend; inwardlyffrom the inner faces ofv thevrunners IIIV and titandmay engage thecleatsitand eef-reinen` the. drawer. is in its fullywithdrawn. position. These pins, however,v are vspaced 'considerably from the forward ends 'of the angesf32rand"33 sothat, when, the drawer approaches itsy fully@ withdrawn position, by tipping the drawer -upward-.ll thel cleats may' disengage; thel :flanges31!V andffand the angesonthe cleats passed,above the. dowels to-,detach -ordismou-ntthc. drawer from.v

the runner construction. On, the forwardmost crossfbar I9, bumpers l3,1 are preferably-seemedwhichyare. engageable with the rear faceffcf the rear face of the uppermost strip; 2.6m. '-to limit forwardmovement of the runner constructionz..

The sidesr of; the; drawer compartmentrare; also.

preerably equipped witlfir1 roilersI 3.8 which-,IriayV bearrangedto enga-gethe-sidesv Hfandv oi the drawer: These rollers-may berota-tablyrmounted' inra bracket that is' integral withthe bracketthat rotatably supports rollers.- 2&1:

stampi-ng havingapertures therein *terrr the ref` ception of' attaching screws.v

corners of the entrance to; the drawer-compart-- ment;y p

manner.. the runner construction-will -be caused-v to.- partially project fromuthegdrawer -com-.

partment C and functionf-somewhatasacanti? lever beam supporting-the' drawer- -in. its iul1t-v Such a bracket illustrated at. 3-,9 consists ,merely of ashortymetal.

This y-stamping;r isi angular inV form Vso as toconformtd-,the loweir eficaces withdrawn position wherein it is substantially entirely withdrawn from the compartment. If it should be desired to remove the drawer from the runner construction entirely, this may be accomplished by lifting the forward end of the drawer as it approaches the end of its forward movement so that the cleats will pass above the dowelst. rIit shouldflb'e 'desired tio 'remove the runner construction itselfifro'm the compartment, this may be readily accomplished by causing the runner construction to assume a parallelogram iJQSitioniwhichcollapses or narrows the width of the runner construction and enables the rollers lfand tofbe withdrawn from between the top; andbottom rails.

Various changesmay be made in the steps of the, .process without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as claimed.

L claim:

v1. In combination with a drawer compartment havingiaa bottom rail across the for-ward end thereof and a drawer in the drawer compartment, means-providing upper and lower rails at the side-ssofthe compartment, crossbars 'extending acrossy thecompartment one of" Wirich carries rollersadaptedtofroli'on said rails, runners com Iiecthgi' the c'rossbair's. intermediate :the ends thereof, said-Y runners-:being ipivotally connected to the cross bars, rollers on the lower rail rat the 1 front 'of'ithecompartment adapted -to rol-lingly support Ittre-runners, thc-drawer being 'longitudinally movable over the runners, rollers on Ythe drawer` for rolllinglysupporting the drawer on' the runners, means 4limiting forwardI movement of the-iiinnersiwith relation to the bottom rail, andl means limiting' Vforward1 movement ci the drawerw-ith respectl t'o therunners;

2` Irrcohbinationwith a drawer compartment having avbottom rai-l across the forwardv endthereof and aA-cl-rawer in the drawer compara ment, means provielifr-igeupper-andA lowerrails at thefsdes-of the-compartment, 'a collapsible runner construction'v having cross bars and runners pivotally connected together reliably supported between the--npperand lower' rai-ls, and means providing flangeson the drawer 'en'gagieable with` the inner faces of thernnners whereby the drawer mayI move 'ifeiattvely toi-their-unner construction andfthezriinnerfconstruction fmove freiatiweliy to the compartment andv said -iiange prmfidingrr means may hold ther-unifier construction fruiily expanded-,position withinthecomparftment. i RAYMOND CHRISTOPHERSON;

EEFEEENGES i.

The following references are y'of record inA the fiie of'thisV patent:

UNITES- ST.^;SEESPAETENTS.

Number Name Date 'Tft-153x19- Noblett` Get.. fr, 1904i l8r-@5323i TobeyY Jan;v 23 19,052'

1,089,514 Wagemaker Mar. 10, 19M' 1; 2-lf2,-992. QBrien Jan.. 16, 1-9-'1r7 1,686,1172-f Simpson @ct- 2, 1928.` 159257,99 Willard- Sepia 19,,- 1.933 2,343,592; Miller. Mar. 7.,.1944 

